A Year in Review
Lake Shore looks back at some of the highlighted stories that shaped 2018 to help us create a vision for continued success in 2019.
At
our Planning Task Force meeting, Lake Shore Public Schools
Superintendent Dr. Joe DiPonio and President/CEO at Michigan Leadership
Institute Dr. Wilmot facilitated a discussion of Strategic Planning
Initiatives for our community and schools. Parents, students, business
leaders, and community activists are critical in the development of our
priorities and long range planning and we sincerely thank everyone in
attendance for their input.
The conversation centered around our current
vision, mission statement, and guiding principles. We want our
graduates to leave Lake Shore being able to critically think and problem
solve, collaborate across networks and lead by influence, be agile and
adaptable, take initiative, display effective oral and written
communication, access and analyze information, and be curious and
imaginative. According to author and educator Tony Wagner, these skills
will transform education and are must-haves to survive in this century.
In order to accomplish this, as a collaborative team, we drafted focus areas and will be working on a plan of action.
January
Lake Shore Public Schools joined school districts across Michigan to celebrate January as School Board Recognition Month.
Our school board members spend countless hours of unpaid time working to provide the best possible education for our students. Celebrating School Board Recognition Month is one way to say ‘thanks’ for all they do.
School board members represent their fellow citizens’ views and priorities in the complex enterprise of maintaining and running the community’s public schools, They also reinforce the principle of local control over public education, which is an important, highly valued aspect of education in Michigan.
The men and women serving Lake Shore are listed here. Watch this video, from 2018, sharing our appreciation for our Board of Education.
February
Families with children seeking premier preschool through high school educational opportunities are cordially invited to visit any of our buildings on Wednesday, February 6th, 2019.
Lake Shore Public Schools serves 3,516 students in 5 schools which cover a diverse student population. At last year's annual Open House, the hallways and classrooms are filled with teacher-led tutorials, technology, and skits. Our student ambassadors explained, through words and works, what it means to be part of the Lake Shore family.
If you are interested in making Lake Shore your home, enroll as a resident or visit our Schools of Choice webpage for more information.
March
Parents and students will have the opportunity to meet the principals and kindergarten teachers, discuss the curriculum, and review registration materials on Tuesday, March 26th, 2019 at 6:00 pm during our District Kindergarten Roundup.
Over 100 Class of 2031 students were given a warm welcome at last year's Kindergarten Roundup event. Our student leaders greeted our future Shorians. The leadership team, comprised of administrators and teachers, deserves credit for the planning of such an exciting event.
Students enjoyed the readiness activities, parents felt supported by welcoming staff members, and the energy encouraged smiles. All kids are truly the best part of our schools.
April
At the 32nd Annual Macomb County Outstanding Teacher of the Year Awards Ceremony for 2018, Suzanne Reed, Kyrstyn Karle-Sloan, and Mallory Buzun-Miller were recognized for their excellence in content knowledge, classroom management, and passion. They inspire our students by awakening belief in self, manifesting talents, and being the light.
Thank you to every educator at Lake Shore Public Schools for being superhuman. You influence our youth in the most powerful way.
May
Lake Shore benefits from businesses and people who believe in giving back locally, creating an impact in the Saint Clair Shores neighborhoods and schools.
UnitedHealth executives, school leaders and Marvin Jones, Jr., met on the Rodgers Elementary playground in May 2018 to dedicate newly donated equipment and enjoy the beautification.
Marvin Lewis Jones Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. In his message to all 500 elementary students, he reminded them about the importance of physical activity. He said, “It is very important to get out there, play and stay active, because if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be where I am now."
The project was made possible by a $22,000 grant from UnitedHealthcare to Jones’ Dreambuilders program. They were joined by Playworks, which teams up with companies and volunteer groups to improve children’s health and well-being by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play at school.
June
Graduation for the Class of 2019 will be held on Saturday, June 1st, 2019 at 10:00 am.
During our 95th annual Commencement Ceremony, the Class of 2018 was recognized for their traits of resilience, integrity, empathy, creativity, resourcefulness, curiosity, and humbleness. Moreover, they received over $5.5 million in
scholarships! Lake Shore is impressed with the scholarships, awards,
accolades, and honors earned by this class. Make no mistake, these
things do not happen out of sheer luck; Seniors studied tirelessly to
earn these achievements.
With
the average annual in-state college tuition in Michigan at $13,988 and
new living expenses from potentially moving away from home, every earned
dollar matters. We have watched many of the 320 graduates
work multiple jobs, take care of siblings, push themselves academically
through early college and AP classes, participate in year-round
athletics, and lead several extracurricular clubs. The endless energy is
unstoppable, excellence is the expectation, and we are so proud of you.
July
Through a partnership with CBD Consulting, Lake Shore has transformed how we educate our students and changing what our classrooms look like so that our students are operating at the optimal level of engagement and achievement.
For the past 2 summers, 220 teachers have participated in 11 training sessions and driven 3,260 miles to help our students achieve 1 mission: Lake Shore Public Schools will provide an exceptional education for all students in a safe and nurturing environment. Our students will be empowered to excel in an evolving global society, supported, by the collective effort of staff, families, and community.
Our Technology Department prepared for the launch of our 1:1 Dell Chromebook initiative. Chromebooks run the Google Chrome operating system, a lightweight OS that is designed to run apps over the web. The devices are protected from viruses and managed by the district through a central web console. These computers allow access to anytime, anywhere, anyway learning, and allow students to build technology skills and responsibility in a safe and caring environment.
For more information on our 1:1 initiative, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions document.
August
In 2019, it is time to look forward to new goals and ways to make a difference at Lake Shore Public Schools.
During the District’s 2018 Welcome Back Convocation, all 550 employees signed the “I am the Difference” banner, enjoyed the popular omelette station and other breakfast items, visited with colleagues, and listened to keynote speakers tailoring their messages to highlight our Vision and Values of Inspiration, Innovation, and Celebration.
Shannon Ketelhut, President of the Lake Shore Board of Education, encouraged the staff to push past the barriers of our own comfort zones. She shared, “Challenge yourself to do things that you want to do. Feel safe to try an adventure.”
September
On September 4th, we welcomed all 3,516 students back to classrooms at Lake Shore Public Schools with warm hugs and smiles, organized learning spaces, and opportunities to engage with friends and staff. Within this Opening Day video, teachers proudly answer why Lake Shore is the best.
October
Homecoming is a time to announce your Lake Shore pride. And after you’ve graduated, it’s a time to return to Saint Clair Shores and reminisce about your school days. In 2019, Lake Shore battles South Lake for the victory on Friday, September 27th, 2019.
According to the Census Bureau, the estimated population for Saint Clair Shores as of July 2017 is 59,635. Without an exact cheer decibel measurement or simple head count, it felt like the entire community dressed in red and white and gathered at building assemblies, along the parade route, and in the stands. Lake Shore won its 2018 Homecoming game with a final score of 47-6 against Sterling Heights. We moved on to the playoffs for the first time since 2010, but lost against Port Huron Northern.
November
Our students and staff are committed to community outreach, spreading acts of kindness and goodwill. Lake Shore reaffirms that the most important things in life, aren't things at all.
Twenty North Lake High School students participated in service learning harvesting 2,940 lbs of brussel sprouts at Forgotten Harvest. Forgotten Harvest is a non-profit food rescue organization that
collects food that would otherwise go to waste and delivers it free of
charge to organizations feeding the hungry in Metro Detroit. In 2015,
the nonprofit distributed more than 40 million pounds of food to more
than 260 emergency food providers.
December
Our life spreads light when it is given in service. The secret of joy is living to serve. According to Kathleen Grobbel, Pediatric Family Advisory Chair, there was an estimated 1,300 students, families, and community members, 300 from Lake Shore, that showed their support for Sweet Dreams at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak. At 8 pm, pediatric patients shined flashlights from the hospital windows and saw Lake Shore Public Schools' participants standing outside the hospital to flash them back.
Read about this event in the Sentinel by following this link.